Saag Tofu "Paneer"

When it's too cold to leave your house, you can make this plant-based spin on classic Indian takeaway at home with a few ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all getting through this frigid week and staying warm inside. I took my daughters sledding on Monday, and it was so cold that I was definitely experiencing some sort of freezing-temperature-induced facial paralysis after about an hour, lol (my kids, however, seemed absolutely fine - go figure). Oh, the things we parents do all in the name of creating those core childhood memories.

The good news about this cold weather is that it’s really killing my desire to leave the house after 4 PM, which has translated into less restaurant meals and takeout (better for my health and wallet). A few days ago, I was really craving Indian food from our favorite local spot, but was not about to brave the arctic tundra outside to get it. I rifled through my fridge and freezer to see what I had on hand, and landed on making a plant-based version of an Indian classic, Saag Paneer. If you’re not yet familiar, Saag Paneer is essentially a soft, mild cubed cheese bathed in creamy, spiced spinach. Most Indian restaurants don’t offer vegan versions of paneer, but you can often find Channa Saag, which replaces the paneer cheese with chickpeas. It’s my go-to order most of the time, and my weekly cravings for it inspired this recipe.

When I made this at home, I wanted to replace the paneer with something more similar in texture to cheese, so decided to use tofu instead. I prefer frozen chopped spinach for this recipe, not only because it’s more economical, but because the texture more closely resembles Indian Saag. The results more than scratched the itch for takeout, and contains lots of fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, folate and antioxidants.

We typically serve this at home with fluffy basmati rice, homemade naan, or, if I’m in a big hurry, lightly toasted pita bread (currently obsessed with Angel Bakeries).